Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Livestock Scheme

Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Livestock Scheme

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum SMBLF has rejected the Federal Government’s new National Livestock Policy, alleging that the initiative could lead to the takeover of ancestral lands in the Middle Belt and their allocation to Fulani pastoralists.The group raised the concerns in a statement signed by its chairman, Oladipo Olaitan, an Afenifere chieftain, warning that the policy could create permanent settlement zones for nomadic Fulani herders.The SMBLF alleged that years of violent clashes involving pastoralists had already resulted in the occupation of large areas of land across parts of the Middle Belt and southern Nigeria. The group said it was particularly concerned that the government’s proposed livestock scheme appeared to be concentrated largely in the Middle Belt, despite what it described as the availability of sparsely populated and unused land in parts of northern Nigeria. According to the leaders, the policy could eventually be expanded beyond the Middle Belt to southern states if communities do not oppose it. The SMBLF said it was not against modern livestock production, ranching or the development of Nigeria’s livestock value chain. However, it objected to what it described as the “opaque, coercive and discriminatory” manner in which the policy was being implemented.The group also argued that ranching should be treated as a private economic enterprise and that the government should not use public-interest provisions to acquire community land for the benefit of specific groups. On land ownership, the leaders cited the Land Use Act of 1978, arguing that it protects customary rights of occupancy and does not give the Federal Government unlimited authority to take over community land. The forum also expressed concern over claims that some nomadic pastoralists affected by the policy may not be Nigerian citizens, arguing that any government programme involving the allocation of large areas of ancestral land must take citizenship, ownership and security considerations into account. The group compared the proposed livestock policy to earlier initiatives such as the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) programme and cattle colonies, both of which generated strong opposition in parts of the country over concerns about land ownership and settlement. The SMBLF said it would not accept what it described as a policy capable of altering land ownership and the demographic structure of affected communities. The leaders called for full transparency from the Federal Government, demanding details of the proposed ranching locations, the legal instruments being used to acquire the land, the ownership structure, intended beneficiaries, size of the affected areas, funding sources and security arrangements. The group also urged communities and governments in southern states to scrutinise and reject the policy if they believe it threatens their land rights. The Federal Government has yet to respond to all of the allegations contained in the SMBLF statement. The controversy comes amid Nigeria’s continuing struggle to address conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, with the government seeking new approaches to livestock production, ranching and the management of grazing-related disputes. The SMBLF’s opposition is likely to further intensify the national debate over land ownership, livestock development, pastoralism and the role of government in establishing ranching facilities across Nigeria.